Alabama’s 27-24 win over Missouri was a nail-biter. But surprisingly, Ryan Williams, one of Alabama’s top weapons, was nowhere near the spotlight. During the Vanderbilt game, Williams led the Bama WR room, racking up 6 catches for 98 yards and even scoring a TD. In the Mizzou game, the offense leaned heavily on QB Ty Simpson, who threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman Lotzeir Brooks efficiently covered the WR duties. He accumulated 4 catches for 58 yards, one of which was a pivotal 29-yard grab on a late fourth down. Ryan Williams? No receptions.

Six-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson questioned Ryan Williams on their NightCap podcast. “I don’t know what’s going on with Ryan Williams, but we might need to have an intervention,” Sharpe said. “I hand him one target, no catch.”

Part of the reason is that a nagging lower-body injury from the previous week’s matchup against Vanderbilt banged him up and lingered. Bama HC, Kalen DeBoer, did the Ryan Williams’ damage control, saying, “It would have been earlier in the game last week, just took a hit. And, you know, so just hobbled. He didn’t get to practice as much this week.”

But then Ocho jumped in on Williams’ defense, saying, “They have to get him involved in the game… A lot of times you got a lot of times he’s been retrieving lately.” But then Sharpe soon broke his misunderstanding, saying, “They’ve been throwing it to him. He dropped it. He picked it up and handed it to the official.”

Sure, Ryan Williams getting beat up adds another layer to his lack of contribution against Mizzou, but he hasn’t lived up to his dynamic playmaker reputation this season. Through just four games, he has rung up 21 receptions for 336 yards, averaging a solid 16 yards per catch. Decent? Sure. But his drop issues remain.

This season, Williams has dropped several key passes, including what could have been multiple touchdowns in games against Florida State, Georgia, and Wisconsin. He is leading the nation with 1.5 drops per game. Williams described the problem as a “mental” challenge more than a physical one. But what is he doing about it?

“Really just continuing to stay on the JUGS machine,” Williams said. “Continue to do the extra stuff, catching rugby balls, tennis balls, just focusing on the ball and not the next move. Like I said, if I want to be the receiver I want to be, I have to catch the ball before I can do all the extra stuff.” His wide receivers coach, JaMarcus Shephard, has been coaching him to catch the “fat of the ball.”

All this scrutiny is coming because of his high price tag. “That’s a man making $2 million a year. I need consistency,” Sharpe added. “They’re getting paid now. Okay. So, we get to judge them a little more harshly.”

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Williams is earning north of $1.8 million for the season. That kind of cash comes with big expectations. As a freshman, he racked up 865 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns at just 17 years old. So, it’s no surprise Alabama poured in major effort and resources to keep him in the fold. As of this season, Williams’ NIL valuation stands at a staggering $2.6M. He’s got NIL deals with big names like Beats by Dre, Nike, Sally Hansen, Hollister, Uber Eats, Rising Tide Youth Football Camp, and EA Sports.

Speaking of EA Sports, he even received the honor of becoming the co-cover athlete for EA Sports College Football 26 and even landed on preseason All-American lists. With all this, the expectations come automatically.

The NIL battle of top WRs

The new college football landscape has clearly shifted the comparison from talent to who is counting more notes. And here, Ryan Williams is playing second fiddle to Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith by nearly $3 million. Williams had an impressive freshman campaign, no doubt. But Smith, in a loaded Buckeyes offense that made a run to the College Football National Championship, took the bigger stage.

As a result, Smith’s NIL valuation is soaring between $4 and $5 million for 2025. Williams, meanwhile, sits at around $1.8 million. That gap reflects Smith’s national exposure and Ohio State’s bigger spotlight compared to Alabama’s somewhat quieter season. Statistically, Williams had a slow start this season. On the other hand, Smith has racked up 505 yards with 40 carries and entered the end zone 7 times as of now.

This early dip in form even caused Williams’ NIL valuation to take an unfortunate $146,000 hit before Week 2. Interestingly, Williams and Smith share a unique rivalry and respect. Smith is partnered with Williams on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26, and both are Biletnikoff semifinalists, with All-SEC and Big Ten honors. Now, to truly emerge from Smith’s shadow, Williams will need a major breakout season or a shift in attention.